Governor-elect Mark Dayton will follow through on his promise to make Medicaid expansion one of his first actions, and he’ll do it in a high profile way.

Dayton announced today that he will sign an executive order to pursue the federal health care funding during a public ceremony on Jan. 4, in the Capitol Rotunda. Dayton says the move will provide new or improved health care coverage to more than 95,000 Minnesotans.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty rejected the early expansion option because of the additional state spending it requires. Pawlenty also opposes the federal health care overhaul that created the expansion.